THE DAY OF REST. Is the Second Coming of Christ Prc Millennial?

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 263, 12 May 1888, Page 5

THE DAY OF REST. Is the Second Coming of Christ Pre Millennial?

Uy Uev. U. Cluster. 1 1' will not be denied by any one who Tcccivcs tho Bible as the SN oid ot th d the Second Coming ot the Loid Jinis I 'hi Ist i-s t-et toith in the]Ne,\ Te-Hmont Script im - as that tor which e\ery true disciple is io watch, and with ie«;aid 1o which ho is .id mom-hed to take heed, lesi i 1 should come niton liun uuawaic-, and lind him uupie pated. Hut it it. be Uue that the Second Coining ot tlie Loitl cannot take place, unul at tin 1 110h 1 ot .) pei iod ot bles-edne-s, ot al lea-t a thou-aud \eais dniatioM, w Inch ha^ nut \et comine<>ced. wliat would lie the pi ictieal u-e ot ai>\ such admonition against nr.piepau due--, 01 oxhoitalmn to w ateldulue— ■, eithei to u> at the i lc-ent. (V totiuisoot .in 1 putedim; geneiationV We air not. s.i^iiil, but thai l!od, with whom all things aie p >- lble, nuidU, it lie -aw lit, al this piemen!, mom' i.l, open the w nulow ft ot liei\e:i, and \omhsate -ueh an abundant out m>in 11 • «_■* ol l'i^ Huh Spiiit, u- tliat nation- -hould be hoi n m a d.i> , and that tlu luiiicuni.d u iv,n ot u.nwi sal peace and li^hteou-me-s -hould i out lnenee ahuo-i raunediah \\ : but .-iippu-nrj, tor aigmnon! s -ake, that 11 \\oie ( > <. r\n menee to mtunn\. am' (hat the j o-i nulkn nial ad \en i iheoi \ \, ci c h tic, tun i '< 'i oi > us would know th it until a i hou-and \<ashid iimthen com-e, (''oNsmhiii could nu, come. \u' -hou'd know ill it bJoie he come-- out !>odu- v oidd !> i\e l\ , im mm;! tcdtoehetoj.il) oai \n\ l-i'ii-«mi! ! ha\o ci ambled m the du-t !iov ab-uid, ilnic loie, to -peak to us vi v, a'i htulne— roi (he Redeemei viihdil and 01 i.m diii_n.i ot n--coimnu upon »i- un.iwauTheioueoi ihj^ .u^unnMii i- . h at <l mi !i su'k to e\ ide U b\ a>-« lliuu. tli.U ll i■■ not toi the at tual *on u^ el I \\\ \-~\ tii u v c ak thus "\hoii dto be wak nliil. but !<>! c'caiii, v hii !i. ihc\ it,,' la, i- to tin biJiLUi \utualK the anie t hn._ a-> ih<> . hpiiii", <t the i.oid .le^us. and w iin hm i 1i 1 "mip ,11 ,i,i\ ii'oiiictH u !neh oil (iv doc- t "i vi vn\ th vSiiddeiiiH'>~ ol the hnulniii., -^ '1. I—lj To llnv wo u|>K, !i,ii it ■ !'< Lnidiii a-. • n intended thai d- vi'ii-houM t"u- !i ti obuetot thebehe\t.r^ umu ,n"ai \s a* ehtul iK--^ and e\pe>'taiioii, luMxould haw ucl so, and would ha\e u-i .1 la'imi.i'M upnn t'n-, a-. h>> doc- iinnn othei -t J ' X" *' - '''' " al^le of 1h hilt ui'-uißlt-i-lo'd tie hi*- how e\ 11. n<i\\ Iwie *-.ud so Ile ha - new i nnc sptcdud death a-- the i>'i|, „ i-i v uchlul nt -. had he vlou' 1-u ,m a -m 1;! ia-1 im \ we Uinxhi t!l mi h,i\e - mil wai. oil iu 1 up po-mi; that in the m m\ p i—>^e- in v. In 'i he-o-peak^o* In- second coining, it \ a- m u\dit\, the de ith ot ea f>h in(ln idual .o m Inch he leteiud. Hut, no ' lie who knuv- \\ hat l- in man, knew i.io u. "'• i! \u death 1-, exeuto'tlr l-i In. \< i. .. ■ >'d u pul-i\e objei t and lint c'nHinu, and , tad u ]n •! mt v ouhl l-cl -c the in'lue,i"c ns 1m h it- peipitud evpectation would tm k i-_ upon th 'm ot U,- >\ lie l»ni u thii ilil ibiki' ~- ami the v.oi mi [could ii. \ a hi\ i i\ pi ice amonu-t 1 lio-t. "oid- ot a run,' tho-e " baud- o r lo\e. nheicb\ he won! 1 diaw In- jivO]iL to hun-c't. and keep them with him- 1 U ; ,\\\i\, ihe>cfoie, n i- ihe m\ow inu. "lounu-pio p'< ', rill oi Im iii waimth and cue l;\ , \'hn ii he had Ivndi. ! dow n in hi-\\ oid a-an hen loom io c>i h -uece—no ufUL-iatio'i amoii'j-t h.- pio()lt> that dnnnu the Lie time ol that v 'in i' ion, at ail) houi. at a'i\ mumoni, !k in w ( am 1 r',ik> them to hue- h , -" thai . i< 'i u'dnidual :unon--\ tncin -hould li i\c <on tinualh betweui hrn and il<\u'\ ih« pi. -lbk and jnobabk okuhuhc ot t lie ! i clot niLi - :uh em . and th it h i. inu : hi- Imp in him, he -hould "pmii} lnm-i ll e\en;the i- pme. Thu wlu.n upon one L\iep tional nml incjni'iableof i ti-io.i li In •■, ,i-i<k the "w?d th it o\Ciliaii'_- tuluiit\. and ir touued l\toi. toi the -t it n'_;il tu'a_ ot hifaith, which, at th tt turn . o il. « pis n- i ill d to be -t i en<.thcne'i. o! the ia< > and the i),itr,n ut the dealli tlia, awaited )ui:i • and when Tetei -ou^ht -imihn uitoi m.'t .on eonceminu anotliei di-( ip!e, oui oh ~-i d Loid lepels all -ue!i inqun v w 'lh the poiute-l and emph.itie uph—"it 1 wil' tl.at he tans till 1 cam , v hat i- th,.' (■> ilm '' tollov. Thou me I pon tie- w • ha\< iht m-tiuctnc comment ot th ' lloh bpn'i, that le-us ''-.ud not unto him, )'l -hall jio< die : but it 1 will that hi lv.i) till I come (John v\i. 13 23 ) Moieo\ei, we would d \ ell f>pt'idl\ upon the tart, that -o i.m tunn idt m n\!,rj; death —e.\ en the death ot t lie be'u \ei -~w itli i the Seennd Cotninu o v (hii-t, theiu moil') tw o tiling- v. Inch the Woid oi (lodpui- l.ioie v,id. ly apail, oi which aie ])ie-Miti d to u- j mi -tionjei iCMitia-i, tiieonewuh theoih'i , and ihat, theieioie, to -iijipo-i- om Im,d to have thu- identified tiuiu, oi ihuto idenui\ them oui-t_i\e-, h m inii"e-tl\ m aec;i-''him. and io be ohim!' 1 rt '• eonfoundm'.' thui'4-that dihei. Death i- rht coming ot the Kui'i of Tenoi- 'I o the hc!ie\' i , 1)1' —ed be oil! < !od toi l' 1 In comes ciownie--, swoidle—, -> ep( ic'e--! \eti-lie the luny ot rr I 7e.i Uii - Li li ; and, thciefoic. his 'uhenl i- not (o be tt.n founded with that of th" T.o.d r,f iit. and At death th^ btliCMi »/o^ to Ch,i-t L-" to ih/ni, I and \m w it h C-ln i-t (hn-t dor =5 not m an\ '•en-c <ont< to him The drath ( son ot tlv beh(;\ei isa -r oik of pain, 'md -lckne--, and -onow, and violniui---of hit te t pai tiii'^-, and Ihmhii ml m' 4m '4 1,0 c well- At the coming ot C'lui-', pain and <-ickne^-holl be tor e\ci di-si]>ated •, (he death-di\idcd shall be eternal^ lr-uiuted ; rtOrr.'W and -hail ilee awa^ Death s-epatate^ the -piiit horn thebod\ : the latter ret m uinfjf ro the du-l, of (hceailh, the foimei to the (Jnd who it. The pro-peel which it hold-, out to (lie bohe\ci is that of tho con-i ious spiiil briny; in a -tate of ro ßt and blc-sedno-,, of which, how e\c! l, wo can iovm no leal conception, as 1 we know nothing ol a pin el y state of existence; while the bod>, wilh which all o\iv idcfv, because all our o\pei ienr>( -> of cn]C>incnfc, .'no w clo-ely a—ociated, monlflcis. into du-t. The Saviours, coming will iai. cc tho liody iioni the •^lee)) of death to the m's^oui of etcnial youth, and the ot enduiin^ immoiifaliiy : it will ic-unito the spinl to the body, to be separated ncvennoie ; and tlu "•lowing piospcct wlucli we can lcahse. anrl which must be the consummation ot bliss to cveiy iovinu, heart —is i hat of unhindeiod personal companionship i?i tho pic-onco ol .Icsu^. Our spirits hein^, punhed fiom every sinful emotion, '• and ouv vile bodies fashioned lik<; unto hi-> body,'" we sliall dwell with him —-rciun witii him - glorified in his glory, and lcjoicing in hi^ i°y! Oil, that we may henceforth walk more in the light and power of such a bright and elevating hope ! There can, we repeat it, bo no two thinp-> more dissimilar than death and the Saviom \s glorious appenaing. Tho Lord, when lie .spoke of the latter, and set it before us as an object to be watched, and hoped, ami longed, and prayed for, never could have intended that we should understand him as referring to the former. Surely we are not to lout) and to ]>ray for death. Hut if not—if it be not death but Christ's appearing to take us to himself, that we are tlnio to watch and to long for, that appearing vntst bo promillennial ; otherwise we Luow thai we Bhould look, and long, and pray ior it in vain.